Gloucester Schooner Festival – 2012

Liberty Clipper, 170 tons of twisted steel and sex appeal

Anonymous crew member

Liberty Clipper, You sail’em, we impale’em

Art Schlett

I had my doubts that the Gloucester Schooner Festival, aboard the Liberty Clipper, would draw interest two years in a row. But trip leader Bruce Gollob’s enthusiasm and insistence convinced the board that it would work.

I signed on as Assistant Trip Leader to collect the applications and communicate with the members who signed up. The success of the 2011 trip brought back seven past attendees and fifteen others, two of whom became members because of the trip.

Before the trip left, a few had to drop out due to injuries. Most notable was the Trip Leader, Bruce Gollob – hereafter known as “Bruise” - after he tangled with his motorcycle just a few days before the trip. We ended up sailing just one short – at twenty two participants.

Travel to Boston varied from car (convenient off airport parking), train, and air. All arrived early enough, save one, to gather at The Reef outside The New England Aquarium. There, our “Irish” team gradually grew while we participated in a DJ-run trivia game. After losing, it was off to The Chart House where reservations had been made by Jack Buckley’s daughter, a local concierge.

As ATL (now TL), I had to see where our missing crew was. Jeff F. informed me he was lost in Boston, but would park at the Aquarium (when he found it) and not to worry. He made a grand entrance just before dessert and was heartily welcomed by his ship mates.

Luggage had been stowed at Liberty’s office and when we boarded the schooner after 8:30, the bags were in the cabins. Jeff had carried his into the restaurant and I had my doubts it would fit down the companionway. While aboard we met some of the crew and Mia, Art, and I had a tour of the Liberty Star, Liberty Clipper’s sister ship. She’s a sixty-seven foot gaff-rigged schooner. Her captain, Beau Bryon expressed pride at the restoration work that he’d overseen on this lovely wooden vessel. Beau was also the second captain aboard Liberty Clipper for the weekend.

We met the rest of the crew under Captain Chris the first thing Saturday morning. All were unknown to me except Carmine, AKA “Bluto.” He had risen from deck hand last year to Bosun’s Mate – in charge of rigging, cables, and deck crew. We dropped our lines around 7:30 and set off for Gloucester. Jeff, showing initiative, parked his “steamer trunk” at the foot of the companionway stairs. I think that was also his dressing room.

Just before sailing I asked: “Where’s Jeff?”

He had taken a short walk, but did check in with Captain Chris and returned in a timely manner. In The Sailing Club tradition, we motored to Gloucester since the winds were on our nose.

We arrived in the early afternoon and were secured to the Coast Guard dock. All took shore leave to check out the shops, HMS Bounty, and the Crow’s Nest Pub (featured in the movie The Perfect Storm). Some took the water taxi to the Rocky Neck neighborhood, a charming artist’s colony across the harbor. Dinner was aboard, and lobster had been delivered by “Dog & I” a fishing boat owned by friends of Jan, our cook. Again, playing sheep dog, we found that Clara M. and Marianne Mc. were missing.  They called and were lost in Gloucester – someplace – after taking a trolley ride. I instructed them to ask directions to the Coast Guard Station. They arrived in time for the lobster.

After dark, there was a parade of boats – pleasure craft and fishing boats – all decorated in lights. Having learned to play the Liberty Clipper’s conch shell (on the 2011 trip), I saluted each boat with a blast – steadily getting weaker and weaker until my lips and lungs gave out. Fireworks followed and we turned in – leaving some to play bridge in the salon and Janet F. trying to teach a tired Jeff how to play the game.

On Sunday morning, the day of the big race, Jeff, an early riser was impressed with the number of fishing boats leaving the harbor before dawn. Gorton’s world headquarters is there and they need a lot of raw material.

Larry S. “Where’s Jeff?”

Kathleen M. “They have hot water?”

Jeff F. “Where are my sun glasses?”

Beer Drinkers “Steve, will you pour me a beer?”

Sunday morning, the "Parade of Sails" was led by Adventure (http://schooner-adventure.org/), a restoration in progress – she had no booms and therefore no sails. The line of schooners sailed out of the harbor and along the shore to the delight of thousands of visitors.

While waiting for our race start, Sarah, one of the crew, explained the unique way lines are coiled – they look like the Ballantine Ale Logo but the coil is much older – called Bell and Tine

The race started with Liberty Clipper late to the line and trailing The Spirit of Massachusetts. During the first downwind leg we gradually closed the distance and both boats took a wide turn around the first mark. The upwind leg saw a gradual closing and at the mark, Spirit again took a wide turn while we attempted to cut inside. TROUBLE! Halfway thru the turn, the foredeck crew was late in releasing the three jibs and the turn stalled. Our bow sprit was aimed directly amidships of the Spirit and closing steadily. Captain Chris turned on the engine and blasted into reverse. We did a "catch and release" on the Spirit of Massachusetts’s foresail and shrouds. When we thought we had "released" them, our bow sprit caught their main boom, but then slid off. Here it is on Utube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91neEzsa3T8

Turning on our engine disqualified us, and Spirit of Massachusetts dropped out to check rigging. Crew meeting! On the way back to the dock, the crew was dejected, we were buzzed, and Captain Chris was on the phone. Damage was minimal and no one was hurt – other than feelings. Maggie, the cook’s assistant, broke out her ukulele and entertained us with Captain Chris trying to strum along on a small guitar.

Jeff F. “What’s the point of racing if you can’t take someone out?”

Jeff F and others “Paint shark jaws on the bow and one schooner symbol (4 more to be an ace)”

The Sailing Club Cheer Leaders

1. Liberty Clipper we are fast, get in our way and we’ll kick your A__ (rehearsed before the race – never used)
2. Liberty Clipper we are fast, get in our way and we’ll spear your mast (never used)

All of us who have raced sailboats know that things happen in competition and with exposure and experience we become wiser and faster crew.

We all attended the award dinner on shore and all the schooner captains were introduced. Captain Chris got a boisterous cheer from The Sailing Club, which surprised and greatly pleased him.

With the tide out, we were all shuttled back to Liberty Clipper by Lindsey. "Where’s Jeff?" He arrived soon and made it down the ladder. Casino night topped the evening off with Mexican Train (dominos) and Thirteen, a card game similar to Five Crowns.

Monday morning: "Where’s Jeff?" He sure loves his walks, but does tell crew he is leaving – just not Admiral Sherwood. The Spirit of Massachusetts had to leave the dock to give Westwind, a new harbor arrival, an inside position. As they turned to come back in, they provided us a look down their bowsprit -- similar to what they saw just before we hit them, if not as close.

We left for Boston around 9:30, just as HMS Bounty, with all sails up, started her journey to Eastport, Maine. Captain Chris did a 360 degree turn under sail to allow Bounty to travel alongside and us to take photographs. Tall ship crews are a close knit society – always looking for the next ship. Captain Chris, Beau (captain of Liberty Star), and Bluto had sailed on Bounty and knew many of her crew. Some of Bounty’s crew had also sailed on Liberty Clipper.

The trip back to Boston had light following winds and uncomfortable swells. After an hour of banging booms and flapping sails, it was on with the iron jenny and down with the sails.

Where is our next tall ship adventure? Maine on Victory Chimes (or many others)? Grenadines on Mandalay?

Larry Sherwood - ATL